


Hushaby, Hushaby

by lazulisong



Series: It was late, and Meg was very tired [1]
Category: Thor - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Gen, actually not special brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-01
Updated: 2012-07-01
Packaged: 2017-11-08 22:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/448358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazulisong/pseuds/lazulisong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>when loki was small, he had bad fevers, and their mother would sing him a special lullaby. after a while, thor sings it for him instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hushaby, Hushaby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fyredancer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fyredancer/gifts).



> you, too, can talk me into writing terrible things if you catch me sufficiently drunken!

Later, much later, Thor realized the way his brother would catch fevers at the drop of a hat probably had more to do with his Jotun physiology than anything else. Loki just seemed to overheat so easily, and then be miserable, not quite crying because Loki was always brave and always always kept what he felt to himself, but suffering nonetheless.

Thor cried enough for the both of them, when they were very small, crawling up into hs brother's crib and demanding their nurses or their mother make him better, at once, this instant! He didn't understand why they couldn't simply make Loki well again. He threw tantrums when they took him away from Loki, which made Loki struggle up and say, "Truly, I am better, Mother," and reach for Thor. Their mother explained to Thor quietly but very firmly that he must be quiet and brave and not upset Loki so.

So he sat on the stool by his mother's feet and listened to her sing to Loki, huddled miserably in her lap.

In the winter  
the hares are sleeping  
the snow has covered them  
for their rest

in the winter  
the fox is sleeping  
the ice above the den  
hides them below

in the winter  
you are sleeping  
safe and warm

like the hares  
and the foxes  
wait for spring

it will come  
it will come

Thor cuddled up to their mother's side, half covered by her skirts that smelled of lavender and wool and the herb rooms. He could hear the change in Loki's breathing. The fever must be going down, he thought sleepily.

* * *

Mother was away with Father, and Loki was sick again, shifting restlessly in his bed. Thor felt useless, but Loki reached for him if he or Nurse tried to get him away. So here he was. He wasn't good at sitting still, and he wasn't good at anything like comforting people. Punching things, he was good at.

"Thor," whispered Loki. "Can you sing the winter song?"

Thor hesitated.

"Please?" said Loki, and his eyes were so feverishly bright that Thor was frightened. He knew Loki must stay quiet.

"I'll sound bad," he said.

"I don't care," said Loki. "I want the winter song. Please?"

Thor cleared his throat and began to sing, hesitantly. When he got to "like the hares, like the foxes", Loki's hot hand crept out and latched onto his own. Thor kept singing.

* * *

Loki's fevers got better, and Thor put away childish things like lullabies. Still sometimes at night when they were out hunting, with Loki's back warm against his, he would start to hum it, and Loki would let out a short, delighted laugh and press up against him.

* * *

Loki was handcuffed and muzzled, and Thor stood outside the cell door staring helplessly at him. There was something different about Loki, as if he himself had been put under a spell as well, and the aftereffects had drained him completely. Thor thought it quite possible, but Loki's pride would never allow him to say anything about it. And even if so, Loki had done enough terrible things that not even Thor could plead for him.

After a minute, he sat down and leaned his head against the wall. . Thor was terrible at singing. His voice was better suited for shouting orders, for war cries. But it was his brother, and he looked so tired and ill, like the fevers had come back. Loki wouldn't reach out to him and ask, anymore.

Thor began to sing.

**Author's Note:**

> Meg: quick email me me something retarded as a prompt  
> and I;ll see what i can do when I sober u[  
> Tay: Hehehehehehehehe  
> :rubs hands together:
> 
> And here comes my prompt!
> 
> Adult Loki would never, ever, ever admit it, but there is a special song that their mother would sing to them when they were little and ailing or upset. It lulled them, but for Loki, no one could really sing it properly to soothe him but Thor.
> 
> Little Loki hurts himself, scenario of your choice, and Thor sings him awkwardly to sleep, bonus points for Loki falling to sleep clutching Thor's tunic or something.
> 
> (In the back of my head this is the Asgardian version of Soft Kitty.)
> 
> The terrible lullaby was composed at speed so apologies for that business.


End file.
